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With a critical water shortage as a backdrop comes the latest release from the ‘Drink Water EP’ from Cape Town live electronic band PRAVDA. New single ‘Night & Day (ft Tamara Kesner)’ is now available via HDE. PRAVDA has performed at Rocking the Daisies, the J&B Met, Youngblood Art Gallery, Francois Pienaar’s MAD Foundation events and The Bootleggers Electroswing event series. ‘Drink Water’ EP co-producer Ross Gabriel has worked with artists Goodluck, Lu Chase and Youngsta. PRAVDA has received support from Goldfish and delivered workshops and lectures on behalf of AKAI, Ableton Live and SAE, and supported visiting Paris-based swing ensemble Dark Blue Orchestra on their 2015 South African tour.

PRAVDA’s sonic palette ranges from the dance-oriented sounds of Parov Stelar, Jamiroquai and Caravan Palace to future jazz leaders Jaga Jazzist, St Germain, Mr Scruff, Bonobo and The Cinematic Orchestra. Classic American R&B and gospel influences include Sam Cooke and Stevie Wonder, and the big band swing-era jazz of Louis Armstrong and Django Reinhardt can be heard alongside African and Latin rhythms. ‘Drink Water’ plays out like a mixture of electro-jazz, gospel and world music sounds delivered with a notably original approach.

Watch 'Night and Day (ft Tamara Kesner)' below

‘Night and Day (ft Tamara Kesner)’ is a dance pop song about the daily grind with a blistering gypsy jazz guitar hook. Of their release 'Night & Day (ft Tamara Kesner)', PRAVDA say, “We love this track so much, and hopefully, South Africans can relate to the idea of slaving away for years on something special to them. Keep electro swinging!”

PRAVDA was formed in Cape Town in 2006, when guitarist John Bartmann began producing a string of self-released EPs, going on to license electronic and orchestral compositions to the South African Broadcasting Commission, DNA Musik (Germany) and Theatre company Bard & Troubadour (UK). In 2014, the band evolved to include DJ-clarinettist Zimasa Gysman, who performed with Simphiwe Dana at the Kirstenbosch Summer Concert Series in 2013. Jacques Louw of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra performed briefly with the band, to be replaced in 2015 by multi-instrumentalist Callan Wolff of Turkish music ensemble Ottoman Slap, seasoned regulars at the annual National Arts Festival. In 2016, the ensemble grew to include Nigerian trumpeter Kolawole Gbolohan and saxophonist Gareth Harvey, who has performed with The Johnny Cooper Orchestra, Crimson House and McCoy Mrubata and at the National Arts and Joy of Jazz Festivals with his own band SAXIT!. Producer-DJ Django Flaherty joined in 2016, with accolades including performances and residencies at Rezonance Festival, Mutha FM, Catacombs and Polana.

PRAVDA is a truly talented collection of musicians joined at the hip by a rich love for local, contemporary, crossover and world electronic music. Stay tuned for updates relating to performances and releases of their trademark ‘future jazz’ sound.